Recuperator mechanism for guns



March 18 192 B. P. JOYCE REGUPERATOR MECHANISM FOR GUNS 2 Sheets-Shet Filed Oct. 9. 1922 awe/14M 3.]? Joyce March 18 1924;

B. P. JOYCE RECUPERATOR MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed Oct. 9. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet Z I w .W M P W -m- @H. w mfi m \Q/QI Q @m 1 v W a Q @R mm mm M HIM 4/ V w i Q k m mm d M Y a ww m 5 M mm w & Q

Patented Mar. 13, 1923..

UNITED STTE BRYAN P. JOYCE, OF DAYRTPORT, IOWA,

' BECUPERATOB MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

Application filed October 9, 1922, Serial 1E0. 598,868.

(FILED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 8, 1888, 22 STAT. L, 625.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I BRYAN P. Jorcn, a citizen of the United t-ates, and a resident of Davenport, State of Iowa, have invented an Improvement in Recuperator Mechanism for Guns, .of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention described herein ma be used by the Government, or any of its oliicers or employees in rosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The subject of this invention is a recuperator mechanism forg'uns.

The main object of the invention is the provision of a recuperator mechanism which may be automatically varied for recoil or at counter recoil or both in accordance with the elevation of the gun.

Modern guns are of comparatively great length and weight and, largely because of the introduction of aircraft in warfare, must be susceptible of high degrees of elevation.

Because of these factors it becomes desirable that the resistance to recoil be greater when the gun is in elevation than when it is horizontal or nearly so and that the re cuperative force be similarly increased under such circumstances.

The present invention accomplishes these purposes by the provision of means, oper ated by the elevation of the guns for varying 39 the resistance to recoil and the force of counter recoil.

With these and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details It of construction hereainfter' described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed ma be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodient of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a recoil mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2'is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the recuperator mechanism; and

Figs. 4, '5 and 6 are cross sections taken 66 on the lines 4-4, 5--5 and 66, respectively, of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference:

A fragment of the top carriage of a gun mount is indicated at 10 in which are journaled the trunnions 11 rigid with the recoil mechanism.

Recoil casing 12 is formed into cylinders in one of which the recoil piston 13 is slidably mounted and to the piston is attached a piston rod 14 which works through a stufiing box 15 situated at the rear end of the cylmder. The gun is connected to the protruding end 16 of the piston rod in any usual and well known manner.

The recoil cylinder is in communication through a'port 17 with cylinder 18, known as the recuperator cylinder, in which is mounted the recuperator mechanism. The recuperator mechanism consists of a floating piston 19 slidable in the cylinder 18 and comprising a piston rod 20 connected thereto which rod terminates at its rear free end in a hollow cylindrical plun er 21, slidablc in a tubular member 22 carried by and extending from a-cylindrical block 23 which closes the rear end of the cylinder 18. The block 23 may be packed with a suitable packing 24 confined between an annular shoulder formed on the block and a retaining ring 25-which is threaded into the rear end of the c linder. Encircling the rear end of the b ock 23 is a ring 26, which 1s attached to the block so as to be constrained to to rotate therewith, and the ring is formed with a segmental rack 27 thereon, which is in mesh with a bevelled pinion 28 carried on one end of a stub shaft 29 journaled in the trunnion plate 30, on the other end of which shaft is secured a inion 31 in mesh with a rack 32 secured to t e top carriage. The rear end of the block 23 and the pinion 28 may be housed in a suitable casing 33 to protect the parts from dust or other foreign substances.

From the foregoin it is evident that the li uid which norma y fills the recoil cylin er in the rear of the recoil piston 13, flows from such cylinder through the ports 305 17 and into the cylinder 18 when the n recoils. provide for control of this ow of liquid by placing in the cylinder a suit able valve mechanism. Specifically, I form an annular flange 34 on the tubular member 22, which flange is provided with series of to selectively register with one or more ports of a series. The valve may be held normally on its .seat by a coiled spring 38 confined betwen the valve head and the rear end of a cage 39.

The cage 39 encircles the tubular member 22 forwardly of the flange 34 and may be held against rectilinear movement by having an annular shoulder formed iuteriorly adjacent its rear end which abuts against an annular flange 40 formed exteriorly of .the tubular member 32, and its forward end abutting against an annular flange 41 formed interiorly of the cylinder. The cage is held against rotation with respect to the cylinder by a lug or key 42 which projects into a recess formed in the flange The interior of the tubular member 22 is in communication with the interior of the cylinder 18 through a port 43 positioned adjacent its rear end and through spaced apart ports 44 provided in that portion of the member forward of the valve 36 and encircled by the cage 39. The cylindrical stem 21 is also in communication with the interior of the cylinder 18 and tubular member 22 through notches 45 formed in the periphery of its open end and into such rear end projects a spear shaped buffer 46 preferably formed on and extending forwardl of the block 23.

The operation on recoil and-counter recoil is as follows:

When the gun is in horizontal position the parts are in the relation shown in the figures of the drawings With one port 35 of each group of ports in register with a groove 37 f the valve 36 and the ports 44 all clear of the strips or bars of the cage 39.

When the gun is fired, recoil draws the recoil piston 13 rearwardly, forcing the oil from the recoil cylinder through ports 17 into cylinder 18. The oil entering cylinder 18 under pressure will force the valves 36 from its seat and enter the member 22 through ports 44 in which position it is free to act upon the rear face of the piston 19. The is ton 19 will, consequently, be forced orwardly, compressing the resilient fluid, conveniently air, in front of it until the parts: gradually come to rest. At the same time some oil will be forced through the port 43 and will enter the tubular stem 21.

When the parts have come to rest counter recoil takes place and the resilient fluid expanding and forcing the piston 19 rearwardly will force the coil through the ports 44 and seat the valve 36, causing the oil to throttle through the groove 37 and ports and return to its original position through ports 17. At the same time the tubular stem 21 will move rearwardl forcing oil through ort 43, the expel ed oil being gradually tlirottled in a progessively increasing manner through the spear like member 46 entering the rear end of the stem 21.

When the gun is elvatcd the block 23 with its tubular extension 45 will be rotated through the gears and segmental rack 32 causing the bars 39 of the cage to cover some of the ports 44 and, when the elevation has attained suflicient height to bring more ports 35 into register with the groove 37. This will cause greater throttling of the oil through ports 44 and so shorten recoil and will relieve to some extent throttling through the ports 35 to compensate for the increase weight component of the recoil parts.

I claim 1. The combination with a gun carriage and a recoil cylinder pivotally mounted thereon, of a recuperator cylinder communicating with the recoil cylinder, a floating piston in the recuperator cylinder, a tubular stem carried by the piston, a cage within the recuperator cylinder, a block closing the rear end of the recuperator cylinder and rotatable therein, a tubular member extending from the block provided with ports adapted to be successively closed by the bars of the cage when the parts are rotated, a flange on the member provided with a series of ports, a valve normally seated on the flange provided with grooves each adapted to register with ports of a series, a spear shaped bufi'er adapted to enter the tubular stem, a rack on the carriage and gearing between the rack and block, operating to rotate the block and tubular member as the cylinders are elevated or depressed' 2. A recuperator, including a cylinder, a floating piston within the cylinder, a tubular stem carried by the piston, a cage within the cylinder, a block closing the rear end of the cylinder and rotatable therein, a tubular member extending from the block and within the cage, said member having ports adapted to be successively covered by the bars of the cage as the member is rotated, a flange formed on the member having a series of ports, a valve normally seated on the flange and adapted to throttle liquid on return flow through the ports, means for throttling the escape of fluid from the stem upon movement of thepiston to normal position and means operating on elevation of the cylinder to rotate the block and tubular member to bring ports of the member into position to be covered by the bars of the cage.

3. A recuperator, includin a cylinder, a floating piston within the ey inder, a cylindrical stem carried by the piston, a cage within the cylinder, a tubular member Within which the stem reciprocates, said member provided with ports adapted to be successively closed by the bars of the cage as the member is rotated and means for rotating the member.

4. A recuperator, including a cylinder provided with a port, a floatin piston within the cylinder and removed trom the port, a rotatable valve seat within the cylinder between the port and piston, said seat provided with apertures and a valve normally resting on the seat and formed with grooves to successively register with ports as the seat is rotated whereby throttling of fluid upon movement of the piston to normal position is increased or diminished.

5. A recuperator, including a, cylinder provided with a port, a floating piston withm the cylinder, a valve within the cylinder between the port and piston operable to throttle the flow of fluid upon movement of the piston toward normal position and means for varying throttling action of the valve.

6. A recuperator, including a cylinder, :1 floating piston within the cylinder, means within the cylinder for controlling the flow of fluid to and from the piston and mechanism actuatedby the elevation of the cylinder for operating the controlling means.

7. A recnperator, including a cylinder, a

'lloating piston within the cylinder, means within the cylinder for controlling the flow of fluid therein and gearing includinga stationary rack and a pinion meshing therewith for actuating the controlling means upon elevation of the cylinder.

BRYAN P. JOYCE. 

